Fueling the Long Haul: A Functional Nutritionist’s Comprehensive Guide to Thru-Hiking Nutrition
I was introduced to the concept of thru-hiking when my husband (then my boyfriend) set his sights on hiking the…
As a functional nutritionist and an avid hiker, I believe food is fuel and “medicine” for optimizing endurance, stamina, and health on the trails. When we choose healthy snacks to fuel our hiking adventures, we can experience higher energy, greater endurance, and a faster recovery, allowing us to do more of what we love – hiking!
Unfortunately, many snacks that hikers turn to don’t support sustainable energy, endurance, and recovery because they are imbalanced, highly processed, or inflammatory. In this blog, I will share why choosing healthy hiking snacks matters and recommend real-food hiking snacks that support health and performance so you can excel on the trails and enjoy hiking to the fullest!
Please note that I am an affiliate for some of the products I’ve linked to in this post. If you click the link here and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. In addition, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
First of all, let me be clear that I’m not one of those dietitians who believes “healthy” is a dirty word when used to describe food. I use the word “healthy” to describe foods that support the well-being and performance of the human body, not as a judgment against other foods.
In the context of hiking snacks, I use the word “healthy hiking snacks” to describe delicious snacks that will also help you feel and perform your best on the trails!
From a functional nutrition perspective, healthy hiking snacks are:
On the other hand, many conventional hiking snacks contain little in the way of “real food,” They are packed with ultra-processed ingredients, lead to blood sugar spikes and drops that make it hard to stay energized, and lack anti-inflammatory and antioxidant ingredients.
Examples of conventional hiking snacks that hikers rely on include candy, snack bars that contain surprisingly high amounts of added sugars and ultra-processed ingredients (making them more like candy than a wholesome bar!), and heavily processed jerky. While there’s a time and place for enjoying a candy bar on the trail, I believe we can do much better than these conventional hiking snacks and feel and perform better as a result!
I rarely see hiking enthusiasts, sports dietitians, and nutritionists discuss the importance of blood sugar balance for hikers, but the truth is that it is absolutely essential!
Simply put, balancing your blood sugar means eating and living in a way that keeps your energy levels steady throughout the day. It’s like fueling your body with
a slow-burning log instead of a quick-burning matchstick.
When you eat hiking snacks that combine protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, and some fiber, your body gradually releases glucose (blood sugar) into your bloodstream. This gradual release of glucose prevents the blood sugar spikes and crashes that come from sugary and ultra-processed foods, thereby supporting sustainable energy, sharper focus, a better mood, and endurance—helping you hike longer and feel stronger.
The healthy hiking snacks I’ll share in this blog are designed to support blood sugar balance.
Strenuous exercise and altitude (which many of my hiker clients encounter since we live in Colorado) increase the body’s need for antioxidants.
Antioxidants are substances that protect cells from damage caused by free radicals, reactive molecules produced in the body as a byproduct of metabolism, exposure to toxins, and exercise. Dietary antioxidants can directly quench free radicals and also change gene expression, making the body more resilient to free radicals. (Source)
While some free radical activity after exercise, like hiking, is normal and necessary to induce adaptations to training, an excessive production of free radicals during exercise is linked to fatigue, muscle soreness, and impaired recovery. (Source, Source)
By consuming hiking snacks that contain antioxidants, you can bolster your body’s antioxidant status. This can help combat excessive free radical production from exercise, aid recovery, and leave you feeling more vital and energetic after your hike.
Ultra-processed ingredients are substances industrially produced from other foods, such as starches, oils, added sugars, and emulsifiers. They often bear little resemblance to the whole foods they originated from. Examples include breakfast cereal, potato chips, candy, soda, and some protein/snack bars that hikers rely on.
Foods made with ultra-processed ingredients are often high in calories and low in nutrients. They are linked to increased inflammation and lower muscle mass, which may impair exercise performance and recovery, as well as an increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity. (Source, Source)
The healthy hiking snacks discussed next check all the boxes! They contain real foods, minimal or no ultra-processed ingredients, support balanced blood sugar, and provide vital “extras,” including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant ingredients.
Moreover, these snacks can be easily prepared at home, often at a lower cost than buying pre-made bars, gels, and other packaged snacks. This not only saves you money but also gives you the power to control the ingredients and nutritional value of your snacks.
Energy bites are balls (or squares!) made of whole-food ingredients that stick together to create a convenient, portable snack. Examples of ingredients that can go into whole-food energy bites include:
Energy bites provide a healthy balance of fats, carbs, and protein (if you add protein powder) and are a great hiking snack option for balanced blood sugar.
You can get additional antioxidants by adding antioxidant-rich cacao powder or another superfood powder, like greens or berry powder.
Here’s an example energy bite recipe for you!
Makes approximately 12 energy bites
These bites offer balanced fuel with natural sugars (dates), fiber, healthy fats (nuts/seeds), and antioxidant power from cacao and cinnamon—perfect for steady energy and recovery support on long hikes.
Trail mix is a convenient hiking snack option that can be easily adjusted to use ingredients you already have at home and provides a nice balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats!
Examples of ingredients you can put in your trail mix include:
Here’s an antioxidant-rich trail mix recipe you can try! It contains dried tart cherries, which provide phytonutrients called anthocyanins linked to reduced muscle soreness and inflammation. (Source)
Yields ~3 cups
Instructions
Eating sufficient protein when hiking supports balanced blood sugar and sustainable energy, keeps hunger at bay, and supplies your body with amino acids (the building blocks of protein) needed to repair muscles after hiking.
Here are some examples of healthy protein-rich snacks that are perfect for hiking:
Healthy fats provide slow-burn fuel for your body when hiking and keep blood sugar and energy balanced when consumed alongside protein and carbs. Certain fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids, also provide anti-inflammatory properties and may help your body regulate inflammation and recovery post-hike.
Examples of snacks with healthy fats for hiking include:
Want to up-level your healthy hiking snacks with more antioxidants to support recovery? Here are a few ideas for you:
Eating fiber on the trail can help keep your bowels regular and support balanced blood sugar. While you don’t want to fill up on fiber to the exclusion of more calorically dense healthy snacks (overdoing it on fiber can fill you up and reduce hunger), you should still aim to consume some fiber through options like:
Very few of us have the time to prepare exclusively homemade hiking snacks. Fortunately, there are some great brands of healthy hiking snacks. When hiking, you can mix and match these snacks to meet your protein, carb, healthy fat, and fiber needs so you can experience sustained energy on the trail!
I’ve tried all these brands and can vouch for their delicious taste, portability, and ability to support all-day energy while hiking!
Let’s be honest – sometimes, you just need a sweet treat on the trail! I certainly do! Here are a few of my favorite healthy pre-made sweet treats for the trail:
As much as possible, I recommend that hikers steer clear of snacks with the following ingredients that can trigger big blood sugar swings and increase inflammation:
Fueling with healthy hiking snacks can make all the difference in your energy, endurance, and recovery when hiking. They keep your blood sugar balanced and provide the nutrients you need to power and recover from hard efforts on the trails.
With a bit of planning ahead, food prep, and label reading, you can build out an array of healthy hiking snack options that suit your taste buds and your body, allowing you to excel on the trails!
For foundational hiking nutrition guidance, see my blog Hiking Nutrition Essentials: Building a Strong Foundation.
For personalized, comprehensive guidance on optimizing your nutrition so you can achieve your big hiking goals, book a discovery call with me!
The content provided on this nutrition blog is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.
The information and recommendations presented here are based on general nutrition principles and may not be suitable for everyone. Individual dietary needs and health concerns vary, and what works for one person may not be appropriate for another.
I make every effort to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but the field of nutrition is constantly evolving, and new research may impact dietary recommendations. Therefore, I cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information presented on this blog.
If you have specific dietary or health concerns, please consult a qualified nutritionist or another healthcare professional for personalized guidance.
I empower others through nutrition to conquer their mountain adventures, drawing from my own experiences.
With a background in Biomedical Science and an M.S. in Human Nutrition, I’m a Certified Nutrition Specialist and Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist. My journey in functional medicine has equipped me to work alongside athletes and tackle complex health cases. As a passionate trail runner, backcountry skier, and backpacker, I strive to support others on their paths to peak performance and well-being.
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